LIFE Project: Eat, Act, Impact: Empowering and raising awareness in the education sector in Catalonia, Spain, and Europe for a fairer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly food system, thanks to the LIFE program
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2021 -2023
- Assigned Budget 492,868 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing LIFE
- Project website Web del proyecto
The EAT:LIFE project aims to transform the food consumption patterns of citizens in Catalonia, and more broadly in Spain and Europe, toward more sustainable, fair, and healthy diets.
Design of activities to raise awareness and facilitate the consumption of sustainable foods.
The current food system is a major cause of environmental degradation and climate change. Agriculture emits around 10% of the EU's greenhouse gases (GHGs) and contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance, pollution, soil degradation, and more.
Although citizens are concerned about these issues, there is a gap between their concern and their action, particularly when it comes to food. For example, in a special Eurobarometer report (501), 94% of Spaniards believe that climate change is a very/fairly serious problem, but only 13% have adopted a more sustainable diet (at the EU level, 81% and 19%, respectively). Similarly, at the Catalan level, 90% of the population is concerned about climate change, but only 1% opts for organic products or engages in responsible consumption (Study on Environmental Perception and Habits, 2019). This also shows that citizens of Catalonia (7.6 million people, 70% of them in the Barcelona metropolitan area) or of Spain in general are not clear that food systems contribute significantly to climate change and that modifying diet is an effective way to act.
- Promote a sense of urgency.
- Educate people about the ecological and carbon footprint of food and raise awareness about their own responsibility as consumers.
- Promote lifestyle changes to foster sustainable, healthy, and accessible eating habits for all, and provide citizens with tools to make positive changes in their diet.
- Make visible existing initiatives and alternatives for a better agri-food system.
- Promote the role of educational centers as essential agents of change in achieving environmental objectives.
- 36 conferences reached 11,409 people, 60 expert articles read by 21,701 people, and 937 participants in MOOC courses on sustainable food.
- Educational program that trained 1,029 educators, carried out 10 collective challenges with 100,880 participants, and held two editions of the Campus-Award Young People for Tomorrow with 72 participants.
- Creation of a website with 66,334 visits, promotion of sustainable diet commitments with 12,553 participants, and development of educational games.
- Project management and external impact assessment, ensuring quality and sustainability.
Coordinator/entity name: Laura Calabuig Fuste
The EAT:LIFE project effectively engaged diverse audiences in promoting a better food system, expanding the organization's expertise and resources. Lessons learned emphasized the educational communities' enthusiasm for sustainable food issues and the value of engaging, gamified activities. The project's success in hosting conferences, collective challenges, and training educators highlighted the importance of direct community action and education in driving sustainable change.
Particularly successful activities include the 36 conferences, 10 collective challenges that resulted in a recipe book, and the training of 1,029 educators, who had a significant multiplier effect through the implementation of sustainable food activities with their groups.
- Fundacio Catalana de l Esplai
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